Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-12
FIRST DISTRICT COURT.
Dean POstpOned-The Hunsacker
Case on Trial.

Dean POstpOned-The Hunsackel
Case on Trial.
The Dean polygamy case and the CO
hab. cases set for arraignment Wednes
day morning were postponed until Mon
day next.
L. R. Spencer, of Portage, applied fol-
citizenship. He did not exactly believe
in polygamy, although he was an elder
His hesitation and prevaricating led him
into ludicrous position. He could moi
say what he would do hereafter as to pc
lygamy. Finally he promised to obey
all the laws of his country, He was ad
mitted.
The case OF the People vs.. Louis Hun
saker was taken ND. Allen Hunsaker
one OF the defendants, Was sworn. When
Exum approached the house he, wit
ness, being unarmed, lay in ditch with
the field glass (produced) in his hands
Though doube-barreled it was
not loaded, but when he called
on kxum to halt the sight Of
them made him cry, "Don't shoot. y
Witness was not in she habit of carrying
firearms. There were none about the
house that day. He did not use the
threats testified to by the deputy mar
shals. Witness took safety in flight.
Cross-examined-The cause of his spy
ing was the fear of officers coming, as
some one was liable to report him for
having more than one wife. He fled
every time stranger came to the house.
Though the house was generally
stocked with rifle, shotgun and
pistol, there were no arms
there on that occasion. He lived there
off and on, sleeping in hole in the
ground about 200 Yards from the house.
When ne pointed the field-glass at Exum
and ordered him to halt, he did not
threaten to kill him. Witness did not
see Louis with or without pistol. He
did not have occasion to run and hide
now.
Simeon Hunsaker, son of Allan,
was next sworn. When the officers
came his father went. The Hunsaker boys
had no firearms on that day, and the
conversation was such as harmless Hun
sackers would use. The deputy marshals
did not tell who or what they were.
Cross-examined-Did not set the dogs
on the officers Although he heard them
say that his father was wanted, he did
not suspect that they were officers. He
took the horse to his father to get off on
it from those men. Why he did not want
to see them his innocence knew not, nor
in what position Allan was when he lev
eled those terrible glasses How he
could swear that Allan was unarmed he
could not explain. Did not recollect of
ever having seen defendant with gun
or pistol AS to believing those men
were officers, he did not know. He was
the greatest know-nothing that Prose-
cutting Attorney Hiles ever examined
Court adjourned to 2 p. m.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The audited and verified accounts OF H.
H. Henderson, clerk OF the court, to
Marah 3lst, 1897, were presented and
filed.
The Hunsaker case was resumed.
Abraham Hunsaker, the 17-year-old son
of Allan. was sworn. He corroborated
Simeon geographically, circumstantially
and know-nothingally. He did not fol-
low Steele to the barn. The firearms
were at the sheep camp. The only pistol
about the place belonged to his moth r.
His father, himself and his brathers were
all unarmed ------'
Cross-examined-He went to the barn
for fun, of what kind he knew not. He
caught the horse, but why, he knew
not. Simeon caught it. Witness sat
in the house nearly all the time
the officers were there. When they left
his father returned. Witness did not
know that Steele and Exum were officers
until they came again and arrested him.
He was very ignorant as to the size and
caliber OF pistols He had shot once or
twice. He did not know why his father
went away. His "don't knows" became
monotonous.
Louis, another know nothing 16-year-
old Hunsaker, was sworn. The marshals
did not make themselves nor their BUSH
ness known. He and his brothers were
unarmed, the arms being at the sheep
camp.
Cross-examined-Had seen Steele at
the ranch once before, to arrest his
father, he guessed. The next time Steele
was there it was to get across. He did
not know him, although he had seen
him before. He did not know why his
father wanted to get away on the horse,
nor that he wanted one, but that he
might want one, what for he did not
know. Though Steele asked witness
why his father did not surrender, and
that witness answered, because he
can't get justice" witness did not learn
that Steele was an officer.
Allan, junior, was then sworn. In
October last he lived hear his fathers
ranch on the Malad river. Was at his
fathers the day the marshals came.
Mrs. Susannah Hunsaker testified :
She did not know of any firearms being
in or about the house on the day in
question. Remembered and then did
not remember having a conversation
with the marshals on the day her hus-
band was arrested. She denied having
shown to them pistol which she said
her husband had when he escaped from
them.
j. B. McLennan was sworn. He re-
lated how Mrs. H. pleaded for her hus-
band not to be shot because he was I'M
armed, she having sent the pistol back
to her brother-in-law. On searching the
house the officers found concealed under
beds two rifles and shotgun, all loaded.
Officer John Cudihee corroborated
some of the foregoing.
Deputy H. E. Steele also zorro borated.
The prosecution rested.
Allan Hunsaker recalled-The pistol
spoken of was one that was there when
Constable Smith called. Defendant cor
roborated this.
The defense rested.
The Court said that each defendant
could only be convicted for participation
in the one and the same transaction.
Attorney Hiles addressed the jury for
the prosecution in q short but forcible
speech.
Judge Emerson made an ingenious de-
Tense, based on the Hunsaker testimony.
The Court made very fair charge and
the jury retired.
OGDEN, May II, 1887.